A Robotic Arm Prototype Can 'Think' Without Humans and Move Itself

Leave it to James Bruton, a British robotics expert, electrical and mechanical engineer, and part-time Iron Man cosplayer, to create a prosthetic limb that can move on its own. All thanks to the power of machine learning and a Raspberry Pi Zero W. In this video, he attempts to use machine learning to control a prosthetic arm, which he designed and 3D printed, from his other body motions by training it via various postures while wearing a motion-capture suit.

In the end, the arm does what it's supposed to do successfully even though he has to re-posture one of his arms slightly. The arm is mounted on a backpack and performs effectively in simple activities such as raising when he lifts his left leg and lowering when he raises his right leg. He explains that, in the future, he plans to add more sensors to detect more activities, as well as employ electromyography to sense brainwaves via a headband rather than sub-dermal probes. If you're curious to see how he managed to pull this project off, make sure you watch the video embedded above, and as always, enjoy.